Afternoon of the Rising Sun

Leyte Gulf was arguably the greatest naval battle of all time. It marked the last chance of World War II for the hitherto invincible Japanese Imperial Combined Fleet to destroy a substantial portion of Admiral Kinkaid's 700-strong Pacific Fleet. If they had succeeded, 200,000 men of the Sixth Army would have been left marooned in the Philippines. The Japanese were desperate as they knew that an American victory in the Philippines would cut off their supplies of essential raw materials from the south. They were forced into taking the bold move that led to Leyte Gulf. A decoy force was sent north to lure the bulk of Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey's Third Fleet out of the battle. The remaining 46 vessels of the Combined Fleet gathered to attack the remains of the American fleet in a battle that was only won through the level-headedness of Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague and the bravery of a handful of his sailors. Kenneth Friedman has produced a detailed, comprehensive account of this crucial battle which, until now, has been largely overlooked by World War II historians.